Safety mine elevator



c. J. MOILANEN SAFETY MINE' ELEVATOR Filed Jan. 17 1924 z sneez s-sneez 2 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY WITNESS:

Patented Sept, 30, 1924.

1 CHARLES J. Mommas, or HANCOCK, momma.

SAFETY MINE ELEVATOR.

Application filed January 17, 1924. Serial No. 686,910.

T 0 cl? whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. MoILANnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hancock, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Mine Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elevators and has for its object the provision of novel means for automatically stopping descent in case of breakage of the hoisting cable.

An important and more specific object is the provision of a device of this character which is spring operated and which acts when tension o-n-the hoisting cable is relieved, means being furthermore provided with means for preventing release of the holding means in case of breakage of the spring tension device.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efficient in use, positive in action, efiicient and durable in service and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of an elevator embodying my invention, the parts being in normal position,

Figure 2 is a similar view with the cable represented as being broken and the holding device actuated,

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A represents the usual guides or rails upon which travel the rollers or wheels B which form part of the elevator D indicates the hoisting cable, In carrying out my invention, the top member E of the elevator is formed with an opening 10 through which is slidable a bar 11 to which the cable D is attached by means of a suitable clevis 12. At its lower end, the bar 11 carries a plate 13 which is normally urged downwardly by one or more springs 14 which bear against the top of the plate and the underside of the topmember E. This plate is formed or otherwise provided with ears 15 located on its underside.

At the sides of the elevator C are guides 16 through which are slidably mounted aligned plungers 7 pivotally connected at 18 with links 19 of double forked construction which are in turn pivotally connected at 20 with the ears 15. The outer ends of the plungers carry shoes 21 which are preferably U-shaped in cross section and which slidably embrace the guides A. The faces of the shoes toward the rails or guides are toothed as indicated at 22.

The top member E is preferably of hollow construction and mounted therein for sliding movement longitudinally thereof is a yoke 23 which operates within guides 24 and which carries a tooth 25 adapted to engage with any one of a plurality of teeth 26 on the adjacent edge of the bar 11.

Normally, the weight of the car or elevator causes the plate 13 to be located relatively close to the top member E, the plungers 7 being then in retracted position with the shoes 21 out of engagement with the guides or rails. In case the cable breaks as indicated in Figure 2, the spring or springs 14 will operate to force the plate 13 downwardly with respect to the top member E, whereupon the yokes or links 19 will force the plungers 7 outwardly and bring the shoes 21 into forcible engagement with the guides or rails. It is obvious that the elevator cannot drop when this occurs.

In case the strain coming upon the parts in such an emergency should break the spring or springs, it is apparent that the tooth 25 will prevent the bar 11 from again moving upwardly until the necessary repairs have been made and the yoke 23 slid back to inoperative position.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a very efiicient and absolutely automatic safety device which is bound to be of great advantage in reducing danger of accident and loss of ife.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

An elevator safety device comprisin a guide in the top of an elevator, a bar slid- 5 able through the guide and to which the hoisting cable is connected, a plate on the lower end of said bar, spring means between the top of the elevator and said plate I for forcing the bar downwardly, guides in 10 the sides of the elevator, plungers slidable through said last named guides and carrying shoes engageable with the elevator guides, connecting links between the plungers and said plate, said bar being formed with ratchet teeth, and apawl element slidable transversely along the top of the elevator and co-operating with said teeth for preventing upward movement of the bar. 7 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES JjMoILANEN. 

